Facet joint blocks

The spine consists of a number of vertebrae that together form a long, movable support from the head down to the pelvis. It is made up of seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae with associated ribs, five lumbar vertebrae and, at the bottom, the sacrum, which together with the pelvic scapulae forms the pelvis.

The vertebrae are connected to each other at the front by the intervertebral discs (disks) and at the back via the facet joints on the right and left sides.

The facet joints have been shown to be a common source of back pain. To investigate this, one can either inject anesthetic directly into the joint or anesthetize the nerve that transmits pain signals from the joint.

At our clinic, we test the facet joints by numbing the nerve to the joint, as this is a safer and more reliable method.